9 bus homes that are way too cool for school

By Ilyce Glink

September 6, 2016 / 5:00 AM
/ MoneyWatch

Photo courtesy of Mira and Jeremy Thompson

School is back in session in most places across the country, and those familiar yellow buses are once again meandering through neighborhoods to pick up children in the morning and bring them home again in the afternoon.

These buses, however, aren't heading back to school.

As the tiny house movement continues to grow, some people looking to downsize have turned to decommissioned school buses as starting points for their new small-scale abodes. The large vehicles give them bases from which to start and, assuming they're already equipped with functioning wheels and engines, they can easily be moved from place to place if the owners crave a more nomadic lifestyle.

Many of these owners gutted and refurbished the buses themselves, adding homey touches like warm lighting, full bathrooms and kitchens. Eco-friendly features like rooftop solar panels and composting toilets make some of these homes easier to take off-the-grid.

Bus-dwellers have also gotten creative with storage, building deep drawers and including stowaway compartments in furniture like beds and sofas.

Click ahead to see nine former school buses that have been transformed into cozy homes on wheels.

British Columbia Bus

Photo courtesy of oPhelia Kwong

The home has a washer and dryer, range/oven, refrigerator, composting toilet, shower and skylight.

Project Moose

Photo courtesy of Project Moose

Six Australian friends refurbished this 1986 school bus for a three-month road trip around the U.S. They gutted the interior and added bunk beds, benches, a refrigerator, an RV toilet and a built-in sound system for their road-trip tunes.

Szymczak Family Bus

It has a kitchen with a refrigerator and oven/range, built-in bunk beds, a coloring/craft table for the kids and a bathroom with a composting toilet and a shower.

"The Big Blue Bus"

Photo courtesy of Patrick Schmidt

Patrick Schmidt and his father spent three months turning this old bus into a 189-square-foot home that Patrick has been using to travel the country since August 2015, blogging about his travels at SkoolieLove.com. According to the blog, they spent $4,500 to purchase the bus and another $9,000 to renovate it.

"The Big Blue Bus"

Photo courtesy of Patrick Schmidt

The roof is covered with solar panels, and the bus has a bathroom with a shower and an RV toilet, an electric heater and a kitchen with a mini-fridge.

The House Bus

Photo courtesy of Julie and Andrew Puckett

This 1990 school bus redesign was inspired by East Coast cottages and the novel "Moby Dick," owners Julie and Andrew Puckett told Apartment Therapy. They've lived in it since 2015. You can learn more about the project and where they're traveling next on their blog.

The House Bus

Photo courtesy of Julie and Andrew Puckett

The bus has a bathroom with an RV toilet and a shower, a sofa with hidden storage, a wood-burning stove, a kitchen with a refrigerator and wooden countertops.

Outside Found

Photo courtesy of Alyssa Pelletier

Owners Alyssa Pelletier and Will Hitchcock spent five months and $30,000 on their bus-based tiny home. They run a design and development studio from the bus, which they drive around the country with their dog, Hilde, documenting their travels at OutsideFound.com.

Outside Found

Photo courtesy of Alyssa Pelletier

The bus has a gas stove, oven, refrigerator, composting toilet, shower and an office space. It also has solar power, propane tanks and a 65-gallon water tank, allowing its owners to live almost completely off-the-grid.

Jake's School Bus Conversion

The bus has a master bedroom, two additional built-in bunk beds, a kitchen with a range and oven and a dinette. It's decorated with unique touches like vintage salvaged light fixtures.

Gypsy

Photo courtesy of Mira and Jeremy Thompson

This custom-designed cottage is built on top of a school bus frame. Jeremy and Mira Thompson built the home themselves over about two years, they told SF Globe. It has a queen-size bed, a loft space, built-in storage, a fireplace, a full kitchen and a bathroom with a shower.

Gypsy

Photo courtesy of Mira and Jeremy Thompson

While the bus still has wheels and can be driven from place to place, it usually remains parked on Washington's Key Peninsula. The cab of the bus serves as a mudroom and storage space.

Minette

Photo courtesy of Mira and Jeremy Thompson

In addition to their full-time bus home, the Thompsons also turned a smaller, 19-foot bus into an RV. This was their first taste of tiny living, Mira said in a YouTube tour of the vehicle. They lived full-time in this bus -- which they call "Minette" -- before building "Gypsy," their larger bus home.

Ilyce R. Glink is an award-winning, nationally-syndicated columnist, best-selling book author and founder of Best Money Moves, an employee benefit program that helps reduce financial stress. She also owns ThinkGlink.com, where readers can find real estate and personal finance resources.